In the analysis and visualization of complex data, a subject about which information is collected in one or more databases in computer memory can be referred to as a data object. There are typically a number of different characteristics or categories of information about one or more data objects about which a human operator may be interested. In the ensuing description, such characteristics or categories will be called "physical attributes" in order to distinguish them from the graphic characteristics of images appearing on the screen of a display monitor, which will be called "visual attributes."
When a large number of different physical attributes of a data object reside in one or more databases in computer memory or are available from many distributed sources, meaningful rapid analysis by a human operator tends to become very difficult. When such an operator is looking for and attempting to identify trends, patterns, or anomalies, visual analysis is often the best approach to take. A principal problem is the great difficulty of displaying more than a relatively small number of individual physical attributes visually at the same time except when the data is quantitative and can be stored in tabular form. Even this method becomes a problem when more than three dimensions of information needs to be displayed. There is a significant need, therefore, for methods of and arrangements for data analysis that afford a better human interface, particularly when the time for detailed analysis is short and speed may be of the essence.
In the past, icons have sometimes been displayed on the screen of a computer monitor to convey information to a human operator about a limited number of a data object's physical attributes at once through such graphic characteristics or visual attributes as shape, size, color, pattern, or location. When the number of physical attributes about which the operator requires information is large, however, such techniques are on only limited use. Either the number of graphic characteristics an icon may assume are likely to be too limited, the totality of the information displayed at any one time is likely to be too complex for ready human analysis, or an assignment of given physical attributes to given visual attributes which may be appropriate for one comparison may be inappropriate for another.
A common application of icons to convey many different types of physical information can be found in modern video arcades. There, in many video games, icons or "sprites" representing people, vehicles, or the like of many different kinds change many facets of their appearance (visible attributes) to indicate their current physical state. A major drawback is that such icons have only predetermined functionality. Even though that functionality may be both diverse and relatively extensive, the fact that it is fixed is a severe limitation upon its use in the analysis of the contents of complex databases.